The most helpful favourable review

The most helpful critical review

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 starsNot as terrible as people say!
I saw this movie in 3D when it came out in theaters and I actually liked it, not loved, but it was decent for what it was trying to do. It has the obvious comparisons to 300 which was, ultimately, better (I guess). The visuals are stunners. The acting decent. If you are constantly comparing this movie to 300 in your head while watching it then you will come away from it...

3.0 out of 5 stars300 Immortal Titans!
What would happen if "Clash of the Titans" had a baby with "300"?

Well, it might be something like "Immortals," a very loose retelling of the story of Theseus -- but with lots of godly angst from on high, and everything filmed in a bronzed sweaty style. Tarsem brings splashes of his own colorful, dramatic style to this tale, but he's...

I saw this movie in 3D when it came out in theaters and I actually liked it, not loved, but it was decent for what it was trying to do. It has the obvious comparisons to 300 which was, ultimately, better (I guess). The visuals are stunners. The acting decent. If you are constantly comparing this movie to 300 in your head while watching it then you will come away from it not impressed. Just watch it as a stand alone movie and not a 300 comparison which I did. I liked it enough to buy it on blu-ray so a hater I am not.

This movie reminded me of movies like the original Jason and the Argonauts and others from that era. Loved the look of the film and the effects also. Some of the performances seemed a bit wooden but I was able to overlook that for the most part.

This Sword & Sandal flick based on legends of Greek mythology is a good value for the buck. It follows in the footsteps (or - should I say: on the wings ?) of the epic flick = 300, and the producers are the same bunch. The hero = Theseus, is played by the same actor who did really well in the Superman role in the movie with co-star Russell Crowe). It is well directed. It is action-filled. And it is shock-full of CGI. Fun to watch, however, the fault lies in lack of character built-up and the Directors got their Myths mixed-up with the Gods known in historical Greece. Nice cameo role by great actor John Hurt. I would recognize that voice anywhere !

I have watched this movie 4 or 5 times on my PVR before I decided to own it for myself. Lots of action. All the old story Gods are in this. Zeus, Thor and Neptune. I can't say enough about this video. If you get a chance to own it you won't regret it.

Well, it might be something like "Immortals," a very loose retelling of the story of Theseus -- but with lots of godly angst from on high, and everything filmed in a bronzed sweaty style. Tarsem brings splashes of his own colorful, dramatic style to this tale, but he's hamstrung by a plodding, gruesome script.

The cruel king Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) wants to find the Epirus Bow, the only item which can slay the immortal gods and free the brutal Titans. To find it, he tortures priests and captures the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto), in hopes that she can lead him to the bow.

A young man named Theseus (Henry Cavill) lives with his mother at an isolated village, being taught how to fight by a weird old man (John Hurt), who is quickly revealed to actually be Zeus in disguise (Luke Evans). The law of the gods demands that they not interfere in mortal affairs (how true to Greek mythology!), and Zeus is determined to keep it that way.

But when Theseus is captured and enslaved by Hyperion's army, he is able to escape with Phaedra -- and in short order, he conveniently finds the Epirus Bow. But Hyperion is clever enough to snatch the bow away from them, and unless Theseus can rally the Hellenic armies, the Titans will be unleashed to destroy the entire world...

Tarsem is probably the most visually arresting director of our times. He has a flawless sense for bright colors, exotic designs, and sweeping fantastical visuals that seem to be from another world. Sure, the entire movie has that bronzed metallic sheen that "300" made famous, but it also has the oddly modern Olympus, the scarlet robes of the oracle, the cliffside village... visually speaking, it's gorgeous.

But he seems to have a knack for choosing movies that simply don't live up to his visuals -- in every movie of his that I have seen, the writing is what lets the movie down. And that is the problem with "Immortals" -- the story just sort of lurches and plods along, tangled in never-answered questions (why can't the gods interfere? Why is Zeus allowed to rape mortal women if interference be bad?). It never builds up a sense of momentum until the climactic battle.

And there's really just a grimy sense of ugliness to the movie. Castration, tongues cut out, people being steamed alive, and the relentless vileness of Hyperion's army -- I'm not opposed to a little wanton violence, but the ugliness starts to wear on the nerves.

But the actors, overall, do excellent jobs -- Cavill has a powerful presence as a noble if embittered young hero, and Pinto gives a beautifully evanescent performance as a young girl cursed with terrible visions. Hurt and Evans give an excellent double performance as Zeus, showing him both as a kindly old mentor and as a vibrant young god-king.

As for Rourke, he is absolutely bloodcurdling as Hyperion, coldly and casually spreading chaos across Greece. He's suffered a personal tragedy, so now he spreads death and horror to everyone he touches, raping and torturing in a quiet, philosophical manner.

"Immortals" is graced with exquisite visuals and some excellent acting, but the story just plods along and leaves you feeling dirty after awhile. At least it's better than "Clash of the Titans."

"I would only like to say that this Blu-Ray of, "Immortals"is the best sound ever,even if it's a littledark in picture quality,but I'm sure it has to be that way,for the time period in Greek Mythology 1228.Power King "Hyperion" [Mickey Rourke] wants to destroy all of humanity on his quest to obtain the ultimateweapon the Legendary Epirus "Bow" that gives him the power to unleash war on heaven and earth,but"Theseus" {Henry Cavill} the young Villager,who's chosen by the gods,rises up to stop Hyperion rampage,with help from the supernatural,and beautiful [Naked I must say] oracle Phaedra {Frieda Pinto} that leads a fierceband of warriors to save mankind..the "Sound"is so good from my surround system especially that water scene,andthe opening scene as well,I still question Henry Cavill Acting abilities though...now what I think about length of the movie,should've been more,could you imagine [Ben Hur] in under two hours I don't think so,it's like stories are not likely tobe told in detail anymore"? even if it's not Bloody Accurate..5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.1080p High Definition .Runtime 110 Minutes.Not Bad. But Certainly Not Good..

King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) megalomaniac only wants the world. After dispatching the mother of Theseus (Henry Cavill) he expects Theseus to join his cause. However the gods including Zeus (Luke Evans) expect Theseus to do his duty and save mankind without the help of the gods. It is not easy wondering who to put our emotions behind.

This presentation is just a tad of distortion of mythical history. A little too much CGI almost makes it a cartoon. There is lots of action and flying blood, one gratuitous birthday suite form the backside, scrawny titans and contemporary dialog. But most of all there is lots of loud music and noise.

I bought this flick hoping for awesome special effects and action, and wasn't disappointed. Decent story and acting, perhaps a bit thin on the story line if you want to get picky - but if you want great visuals and stress-free entertainment, this movie won't disappoint.

Tarsem Singh is probably best known for his 2000 pscyho-thriller "The Cell," starring Jennifer Lopez. Taking his cues from his days as a music video director, Singh tried to blend twisted artistic noir into a crime drama to create something never before seen. The results weren't exactly a knockout, but it did give Singh enough credit as a decent filmmaker.

His latest project is "Immortals," based on Greek mythology and the life of Theseus, legendary slayer of the Minotaur and eventual founder of Athens. Unfortunately, it's a dire miss (and mess) of a movie that really doesn't go anywhere, or say anything when the final curtain drops. Henry Cavill plays Theseus, the bastard child of a peasant rape victim who is shunned by his village because of his questionable lineage. Befriended by an old man (John Hurt), Theseus trains in the way of battle and philosophy from birth. In truth, the old man is actually Zeus (Luke Evans), God of Gods and supreme ruler of Mount Olympus who has ordered his fellow Gods never to interfere in the affairs of mortal men. This soon becomes a conflict when the tyrannical Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) decides to take vengeance on the Gods by seeking out the fabled Epirus Bow, a mystical weapon capable of shattering the cage that holds the dreaded Titans in check. Imprisoned long ago during a fierce battle, the Titans would certainly reign destruction upon mankind if unleashed. Theseus is thrust in the middle along with a band of thieves and the beautiful Phaedra (Freida Pinto), who knows of the bow's location. This sets the stage for a battle between Theseus and Hyperion, with the fate of mankind and the Gods hanging in the balance.

The worst part about Immortals is that it doesn't really go anywhere, or do anything. In fact, the entire story starts off as one gigantic walk in a circle, before setting up the final climatic battle. There's little in the way of true adventure or awe in the film. Instead, it is a dull and lifeless excuse to shove more artificial (and obvious) CGI shots down our throats, complete with typical, linear color grading and solar halos crafted seemingly from default settings in After Effects. It's interesting to note that the Immortals directly references 300 in its ad campaigns, and for good reason. This is a rather shameless copycat of the now-classic Spartan flick. It's all been done before, from the follow-through stabbings to the slow-motion weapon strikes that immediately revert back to normal speed a moment later. The characters are wooden and impossible to care about. Henry Cavill simply isn't up to the task of portraying Theseus without looking and sounding like a regular guy who does nothing special. This is a fabled Greek hero, for God's sake! The Olympian Gods all look stunning both physically and in their respective costumes, but again....they might as well be cardboard cutouts. The movie is essentially one gigantic, regurgitated story about a people in jeopardy who must fight a war for their survival. I gleaned nothing new from this film except for the fact that it made me pine for the days when these kind of films actually meant something.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Equally disappointing was the way in which Theseus' battle with the Minotaur was portrayed. What a shame! Instead of setting up a climatic battle with one of the most legendary creatures in mythology, Theseus simply battles a strongman brute with a bull-shaped helmet. The fight itself is so boring that I almost didn't care that it ended so fast. It gets worse. Theseus' discovery of the Epirus Bow should have been played out like King Arthur finding Excalibur. Instead, he holds the bow aloft just once through the entire film to make a triple-kill that everyone saw during the original theatrical trailer. After that, it's gone. He never uses it again. Likewise, the Titans are all cut from the same cloth, with no two distinctive among the lot, making me think the production crew got lazy and decided to go generic instead.

*SPOILERS OVER*

There are so many missed opportunities in Immortals that I just felt cheated at the end. The final battle is somewhat entertaining, if for nothing more than to see the Olympian Gods cutting a swath through Titans in an excuse to show massive amounts of ultra-violence and gore, but it's no saving grace for the journey I had to endure to get there. Almost all of the cool scenes in the film were given away during the theatrical trailer, leaving the viewer with a few table scraps for compensation. In short, it's nothing we haven't seen before in other films, most notably 300, the very movie it's trying to emulate so openly.

From a Blu-Ray standpoint, Immortals has a near-flawless picture, which isn't surprising given the fact that 99.999% of it is CGI, but I digress. I did notice an overabundance of contrast, however, which has a bad habit of choking out some of the finer details, but it's nothing immediately distracting. The stock DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is pretty standard fare for a movie of this kind, coming from this particular era in moviemaking. Expect a heaping load of bass with typical use of rear channels for ambient effects and a slight difficulty in hearing the voice tracks. Heard it all before? So have I. Special Features clock in at a little more than 1 hour, the bulk of that comprised mostly with deleted scenes and alternates, with a 20-minute feature serving as the only real documentary on the disc. Again, standard.

I hate to say it, but Immortals is a lazy film that relies too much on CGI and color-grading to achieve its vision, instead of a proper, streamlined and interesting narrative with fascinating characters.